In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.
Parallel translations
- WEB In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. My hand was stretched out in the night, and didn’t get tired. My soul refused to be comforted.
- BSB In the day of trouble I sought the Lord; through the night my outstretched hands did not grow weary; my soul refused to be comforted.
- NKJV In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted.
- NASB In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; In the night my hand was stretched out and did not grow weary; My soul refused to be comforted.
- NLT When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
In trouble Asaph sought the Lord through the night with hands outstretched, his soul refusing comfort.
Overview
The psalmist's distress is so deep that ordinary comfort cannot reach him. His tireless night prayer shows persistent faith even in despair. This raw honesty about suffering that resists easy consolation reflects the real experience of believers, who are nonetheless invited to keep seeking the Lord who alone truly comforts.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 28
- Ps 50:15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
- Isa 26:9With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
- Gen 37:35And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
- Isa 26:16LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.
- Heb 5:7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
- Esth 4:1–4When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
- Jonah 2:1–2Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
- Hos 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.
- Ps 102:1–2Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
- Jer 31:15Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.
- Ps 38:3–8There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
- Ps 18:6In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
- Hos 6:1Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
- Isa 1:5–6Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
- Gen 32:7–12Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;
- Job 11:13If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;
- Gen 32:28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
- Ps 88:1–3O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
- Ps 86:7In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
- 2 Chr 6:28If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:
- 2 Kgs 19:3–4And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
- John 11:31The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
- Ps 130:1–2Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
- Ps 63:6When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
- Prov 18:14The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?
- Ps 6:2–3Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
- 2 Kgs 19:15–20And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
- 2 Cor 12:7–8And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 77:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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